The Bears waived Cameron because they had a surplus at defensive tackle and they needed a body at another position. These are the teams that claimed Cameron: Browns, Eagles, Lions, Texans, Giants. (All but the Browns are legitimate playoff contenders.)

Cameron went undrafted out of Old Dominion because a hamstring injury suffered while training for the NFL combine accounted for a horrendous 40 time of 5.38. After the draft, he was immediately courted by nine teams. The Browns, having used draft picks already on John Hughes and Billy Winn, were not one of them.

Of all the players eligible for the NFL draft, Cameron was the only player who already possessed bachelor’s and master’s degrees. His MBA is in information technology.

“He built a computer from scratch when he was 10 years old,” Cabott said.

Cameron, who is from Long Island, N.Y., enrolled at nearby Hofstra University. After playing two years there, Hofstra disbanded its football program. Cameron transferred to Old Dominion, which had restarted its program at the former Division I-AA level after a 69-year absence.

After Cameron committed to Old Dominion, he received a full scholarship offer from Boston College, which competes in the top division of college football. Media attention in the Big East can further a prospect's NFL draft status. Cameron turned down BC as a matter of principal – he made a commitment to ODU and he was honoring it.

“I went there because I thought I could help build something special,” Cameron said.

After going 17-5 in Cameron’s two seasons, ODU has moved to the more challenging Conference USA.

“As I learn and grow within this team, even though I have a lot to learn, I feel over time I can eventually make an impact,” he said. “One thing great about Cleveland -- we’re a young team. We’re all competitive. It’s not like everybody’s entrenched here for the past 5-10 years. Everyone’s young and wants to make a difference. Everyone wants to turn Cleveland around.”